Saving the world is just the beginning
by RealImagination
Summary: Max and the flock are trying  and failing, mostly  to continue normal life without Fang. Until he returns without warning before 20 years is up...with his own flock! IM SO BAD AT SUMMARIES PLEASE READ IT ANYWAY!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Max POV

The day after Fang left.

That JERK. If I ever see his perfect, stupid face again I will punch it to a pulp. No, actually I'll probably scream at him first. Then use him as a punch bag. Stupid, ex-best friend, ex-boyfriend JERK! I'm the amazing Maximum Ride. I don't shy from anything. Not even thinking the name Fang. Fang. Ohgodohgodohgod. Now I'm crying. Again. I don't cry when I get stuck with thousands of needles. I don't cry when most of my ribs get broken by a mutant freak. I don't cry when my flock mutiny on me. But I do cry when my best friend decides to leave. That's all I seem to be doing lately. Crying. Suddenly Fang leaves and I get all emotional.

Damn. I must be sniffing audibly. Nudge comes into my room, WITHOUT KNOCKING (note to self: scream at her later. And get like, a padlock on my door?) and puts her arms around me. God, I should be comforting her, not vice versa!

"I know you miss him, Max. We all do. I'm sorry." Nudge did sound miserable. Everyone seemed to be moping around now Fang had gone. Except Dylan. He walked around looking quite pleased with himself. Next time I saw that smile I would smack it right off his face and all the way to Canada.

" I know, sweetie," I said, wiping my eyes and taking her arms from around me. I stood up and went out of my room. Nudge was right behind. I went into the living room. Angel was fiddling with the sequins on her top. Gazzy was on the sofa looking depressed. Iggy was lying on the floor doing…nothing. Dylan was reading some stupid book in the corner. I ignored him.

"OK guys," I said, trying to sound cheerful. I had some cheering up to do. Time to go into leader/mommy mode: "Guys, this is ridiculous. Come on! Get some smiles on your faces!" Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge and Angel tried to smile. Patheticly. Dylan looked at me. I was so sick of him! Oh well. I plastered a sickly smile to my own face. "Who's up for a game of fly tag?" Silence. "Come on! Girls versus Boys!" I said, all encouraging and mommy like. Sighing I pulled Angel, Gazzy and Iggy up, and motioned to Nudge to follow. To my disapointment, Dylan folded his page and got up too. Oh well.

I ran onto the balcony and launched into the air, my huge, impressive brown wings opening and stroking strongly downwards. The others followed, and soon we were engrossed in a boys versus girls game of fly tag. So engrossed that we almost forgot about Fang. Almost. But not completely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Max's POV

Later that day…

We get back from our fun game of fly-tag all windblown and laughing. And there is nothing to do. Again. Just for a while, out there flying with my family, I'd been able to forget the ache in my chest where Fang had left. Now I am back to moping around and remembering Fang. All those millions of memories are all I have left now. And I won't see him for 20 years.

God Max, stop being so emotional. When did I get so soppy? Yesterday. Right. Total and Akila's wedding seemed millenniums ago. I can't believe that it was only yesterday.

"Max?" asked Nudge, interrupting my thoughts. "Shouldn't we be trying to work out ho to save the world, not just moping around here?" Angel sat silently, not, thank God, bidding for herself as new flock leader or giving any scary premonitions. She'd been silent on the Angel-as-new-flock-leader front since its mention in Fang's letter. I was allowing myself to hope.

"Max?" asked Nudge again, waving a hand slowly in front of my face. I came out of my daydream. "Yup," I said, just making something up. In truth, I had no idea where to start. Fang would have had an idea. But he was gone. So I would have to figure it out by myself.

"Ok, guys," I said, in true leader-like voice. "I'm thinking that we should visit my mom."

3 days later…

I am sitting on my bed in my mom's house in Arizona. The little kids are in bed, though Gazzy is probably up reading about explosives out loud to Iggy, Nudge is reading fashion magazines and Dylan is… probably practicing his flying…or something. The truth is, I don't care where Dylan is. I couldn't care less.

My mum comes into my room and perches herself on the end of my bed with a sigh. In her hand is a chocolate chip cookie. "I brought you a cookie." She hands it to me and I eat up. She is silent for a moment while I eat, then says : "You miss Fang a lot don't you."

"Yup," I say, tears filling in m eyes, though I do my best to keep them from escaping. I haven't admitted to anyone since they saw me crying when I read the letter, how much I miss Fang. And we don't discuss it. Everyone veers round that subject. I think everyone misses him, in a different way. I also haven't admitted how much I don't know what to do. I can't tell the kids that. Angel would probably use it to bid for leader again. But I'm completely at a loss.

"I don't know what to do. How am I meant to save the world? Everyone tells me that I have to do it, but no-one tells me how! I've tried loads of stuff: Antarctica, Africa, Air shows, but the only thing that happens is evil people try to kill us! I don't even know what's going to happen to the world, let alone how to save it!"

Mom nods. She is so understanding, but not all sorry for me. I like that. So she gets up and says quietly " I'll go get you another cookie."

A week later…

We are flying again, having said goodbye to my mom and a rather tearful Ella who begged us to visit again. I see our house in the distance, but, wanting some time out, I suddenly exclaim: "Boys v. Girls fly-tag now. Go!" and immediately fly after Gazzy and tap him, hard on the shoulder. Soon we are all cahsing each other, laughing, the wind in our faces and hair. That was when Nudge, next to me, suddenly whispered: "Who's that?" ointing into the distance. I turned , and could just make out a dark, winged shape, flanked by two other winged figures, soaring towards from the horizon.


End file.
